RENT: a year in the life
Chapter One: Roger's Screening
Roger shifted on the uncomfortable wooden stool. He sighed and ran a finger over his hair, moving part of his bangs out of his face. Three years. Three long years, and though being in front of the camera a lot when Mark was around hadn't changed, he found himself at a loss for words as he stared at the camera's lens.
"Mark, can we hurry this up?" he said, with a hint of boredom in his voice.
"Yeah, yeah, just gotta finish cranking this damn thing." Mark looked up at his friend and adjusted his glasses. "Why are you in such a hurry? Not like you have anywhere to go." Without waiting for a response, Mark began to put the finishing touches on the setup.
Roger grunted. "As a matter of fact, a bunch of us were going to get together later. You were invited, but…"
"And you're telling me this now?" Mark pulled a paper out of a script that was laying behind him on a chair and wadded it into a ball, throwing it at Roger.
Roger laughed and dodged the projectile. "Calm down, I just found out about an hour ago."
Mark sighed and said, "Let's begin. Christmas Eve, 1992. 4:13 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. First subject: Roger." Roger gave a shy smile and a small save to the camera. "It's been three years since everyone got together. We've been through a lot. When was your toughest time?"
"Oh god, Mark…" Roger shifted again. The question posed called for him to bring memories back to life. Memories that he tried hard to forget. "Well, the first that comes to mind is almost losing Mimi. Well, I did lose her, but I mean losing her… completely. I didn't know what to do when I found out she was using again. Then she went missing, and…"
Roger's eyes filled up with tears and he looked down, rubbing his brow. "I couldn't bear losing another girl I loved. After April died, I fell apart… you know, Mark, you were there. I couldn't live because the one thing I lived for wasn't there for me anymore. I guess Collins and I have that in common: losing the one we loved. It crushes you. You can't begin to know what it feels like if you haven't lived through it. You can feel your heart cracking on the lonely nights. And when the rain comes down, you doubt everything you've ever done.
"Then Mimi came along, and the moment her candle's wax burnt my skin, the cracks in my heart were starting to repair." For a brief moment, lyrics came into Roger's head: I'd forgotten how to smile until your candle burned my skin. "And, as I told you, I almost lost Mimi for good. That was my hardest time in the past three years."
The crank on Mark's camera stopped and he looked at Roger. His words were more than he had expected, and they brought tears to his eyes.
Mark set his camera down on the chair and walked to his friend, rubbing his back supportively. "Go on. Tell Maureen she's up."